look, for three weeks, mitt romney got hammered from the democratic debate through the talk about the 47%, his taxes, and the like. and with a bad debate performance. if the president won the first presidential debate, clearly, i think the presidential race would have been all but over. but the debate has changed the narrative, the discussion, and moved some poll numbers, and i grant you, this is not a dramatic change, but it is an important change though it's small, i think the race is very, very competitive once again. >> jonathan capehart, i want to bring you in on this. karl rove writing in the "wall street journal" today, how biggen big biggen an impact did mitt romney's debate have. huge, romney not only won the night but changed the arc of the election and perhaps its outcome. what do you make of that? look at skeptical face. >> sure, mitt romney had a fantastic night in the debate last week. he got a bounce out of. but as richard and i were talking about during the break that bounce is disappearing. i mean as stephanie cutter said in the clip that you showed the race is back t